This book asks the question how should we understand urban social justice in an immigrant society? Through an examination of the politics, conflicts, organizations, communities, and peoples of the borough of Queens in New York City, it shows how to understand, and fight for, social justice in a place that many theorists say should not be able to ask and answer questions of justice; a place that is home to millions of people who regularly prove those theorists wrong in their work and their lives. By detailing the efforts people and organizations undertake to realize more just urbanization processes in immigrant cities, the book provides a close examination of how different groups of immigrants share urban space. Finally, and most importantly, it provides a pathway forward for people, organizations, and institutions to construct a coherent political community in spaces shared by very diverse populations. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of urban planning, urban political science, urban sociology, urban geography, and urban anthropology; as well as community members interested in issues of social justice and immigration.

James DeFilippis is a professor of urban planning at the Bloustein School at Rutgers University. He is the author or editor of six books and more than 50 articles and book chapters. He is a native of Flushing, Queens, and a founding member of the Western Queens Community Land Trust (WQCLT).